This fall, three NFL teams will take the field under a new kind of spotlight: Mental Health Awareness Games. But these games weren’t conceived in a league office or marketing department. They were built from the ground up by clinicians, advocates and athletes who are driving mental health forward in sports, without waiting for permission.

Over three consecutive weeks and across Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix, this series of games represents a cultural inflection point for professional sports. It brings up the question of who leads the mental health movement in sports — leagues, clinicians or the other organizations in the space?

A collaboration more than a year in the making

The first of three mental health games will take place on Nov. 23 at SoFi Stadium, when the Los Angeles Rams host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rams’ Raise Awareness for Mental Health Game brings together the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and The Hidden Opponent.

Ahead of kickoff, there will be an invitation-only panel held at YouTube Theater, at which experts from across the country will come together to discuss the importance of addressing athlete mental health and well-being, especially in professional sports.

As Dr. Carrie Hastings, sport psychologist for the Rams, explains: “There is such power in the NFL partnering with nonprofit organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, because it helps decrease the stigmas of mental illness and help-seeking behavior among athletes. The NFL’s collaboration with groups such as the American Psychiatric Association Foundation amplifies the effort to address mental health needs as a unified front, particularly among a population that is still learning that emotional expression is not a sign of weakness.”

That kind of teamwork between league clinicians and outside experts is exactly what’s needed to make meaningful change and move the needle. While professional sporting leagues have made good progress in providing resources and addressing mental health, real change often faces a barrier of infrastructure, trust and accessibility.

The red tape behind the headlines

Many professional leagues, including the NFL, have implemented wellness programming. Teams also are required to hire a mental health clinician who can be available on-site to players as well. However, even the best intentions can get tangled in bureaucracy.

Mandated programming and on-site clinician availability can create uncertainty among players about what’s confidential and what might make its way back to front offices or coaching staff. No matter how clearly confidentiality is explained, the fear of “what if” remains. What if I’m seen walking into that office? What if I’m labeled as struggling?

Those quiet doubts can be powerful deterrents. Because what happens when an athlete doesn’t feel complete privacy? They stay silent.

That’s where collaborations such as these awareness games matter. Independent providers and nonprofit organizations can come together to engage with players and fans without corporate barriers, giving them the freedom to build trust and tackle topics that often stay behind locker-room doors.

It’s critical to understand that outside partnerships aren’t a threat to league programming, but rather a bridge that makes it more effective. When clinicians and nonprofit organizations can operate collaboratively with teams, rather than under them, the result is authenticity. Conversations truly resonate because they aren’t filtered by PR strategy or limited by liability language.

Commanders and Cardinals: Turning awareness into action

The second Raise Awareness for Mental Health Game will be hosted by the Washington Commanders on Nov. 30, where the theme of the pregame discussion is prioritizing mental health in youth and youth sports. During that event, I’ll lead a fireside chat with former NFL player Marcus Smith, who has courageously shared his own mental health journey through the years.

Smith’s story is a great reminder that the future of player development lies in developing athletes’ emotional regulation, self-awareness and resilience. That’s truly where the future of athletic performance lies.

On Dec. 7, the Arizona Cardinals will host their inaugural Raise Awareness for Mental Health game, in partnership with the ABSPP, APAF, LIFE and the Maricopa County Medical Society Foundation. Each ticket purchased through the dedicated group link will include access to an exclusive pregame panel and contribute $5 directly to mental health programs supported by APAF and MCMS-F. This translates to tangible impact.

Redefining strength and success

In my work with athletes and executives, I’ve seen the same pattern on repeat: Performance excels when mental health is integrated into preparation rather than being treated as an afterthought. It’s clear that optimizing performance requires intentional strengthening of emotional regulation, focus and recovery. However, this can be done only when athletes feel safe to engage.

When care comes solely from within an organization, players may question whether that vulnerability can affect their contracts or playing time. External clinicians bring confidentiality and neutrality, qualities that make it easier for athletes to speak honestly.

It’s time we stop seeing these external partnerships and collaborations as supplementary and start seeing them as essential to support athlete well-being. League clinicians and outside resources can collaborate to support athletes.

These games represent a model that should be replicated across all professional leagues. They weren’t driven by a corporate agenda or mandated by the league office, but rather by collective purpose — clinicians, nonprofits, players and teams all have a seat at the table.

This is just the starting blueprint for how teams can align fan engagement, philanthropy and health advocacy in ways that make a lasting impact. Change is coming to professional football’s mental health conversation and it’s being built, piece by piece, through teamwork.

Dr. Brook Choulet is a concierge sports and performance psychiatrist, founder of Choulet Performance Psychiatry, and president of the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry.